PathToHoliness

In case you haven’t hear yet, May 1 is the date for the Beatification of Pope John Paul II. I already ran the idea of going past Cindy and she can’t even stand the idea of dealing with the crowds. I could deal with it but the cost is also a factor. I did a quick look at flights and didn’t see anything less than about $980!

It would be awesome to attend this ceremony for the Pope I’ve personally met and who was such an inspiration in life and continues to be so in death. He met all of my family on a visit to the Vatican years ago and I know has touched all our lives for the better.

Reports are saying they expect about 2 million for the ceremony which is a million less than his funeral. They know how to deal with big crowds there and do a good job. I had the fortune to attend the Canonization of St. Josemaria Escriva and it was packed too.

Pope John Paul II has also been named the patron of the upcoming World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain, which will be celebrated August 16-21.

If you’re interested in seeing “There Be Dragons” which is scheduled for a May release then enter a sweepstakes contest for tickets and other prizes. You can find the entry on Facebook.

Grand Prize Winner will receive:

Prize Eligibility
Only persons who are at least 18 years of age can enter.
Sweepstakes Starts
December 20, 2010 @ 12:01 pm (PST)
Sweepstakes Ends
January 31, 2011 @ 12:01 pm (PST)

Today is the feast of Mary, Mother of God. Our Holy Father prayed for peace in his homily according to Vatican Radio

“On this day, too, we pray especially for peace throughout the world, and I invite all of you to join in heartfelt prayer to Christ the Prince of Peace for an end to violence and conflict wherever they are found.”

You can listen to a full report from Vatican Radio here: Vatican Radio Report

The day after Christmas, Cindy and I took part in the baptism of our niece Abi and nephew Charlie. They are the children of Cindy’s brother Jeff and wife Rosa. Cindy and I are Godparents for Charlie and our daughter Chelsea and I are for Abi. Here’s all of us with after the ceremony which was held at St. Agatha’s Church in Miami, FL.

Becoming a Godparent (or sponsor) is a real responsibility. Here’s what the Code of Canon Law #872 says about it: Insofar as possible, a person to be baptized is to be given a sponsor who assists an adult in Christian initiation or together with the parents presents an infant for baptism. A sponsor also helps the baptized person to lead a Christian life in keeping with baptism and to fulfill faithfully the obligations inherent in it.

We’ll do our best to be good ones for Abi and Charlie!

Merry Christmas to everyone. Here’s the whole family after midnight Mass. We may have looked bright eyed in the photo but we were asleep pretty soon after we got back to the house.

I don’t know when we started going to midnight Mass for Christmas but it has been a while. It was standing room only at St. Gregory’s. I’m looking forward to a nice quiet day of relaxation and celebrating the birth of Jesus. I will confess to going to Starbucks for a venti Christmas blend though. But that’s the extent of my adventuring out to the retail world. We might take a drive to the beach today though since it’s supposed to be warm one more day before cooling down.

You can’t have enough Nativity scenes this time of year. Our family has escaped the cold and wintery white stuff for the sunshine and relative warmth of south Florida.

I attended early Mass at St. Gregory the Great Church in Plantation, FL. I’m not sure if we’re going to go to Midnight Mass tonight or Mass in the morning. We’ve been going at midnight for years. I personally prefer in the morning. I always fall asleep before midnight and then have trouble getting back to sleep after Mass. Whichever one you pick though, they’re all beautiful!

This is the manger at the Cathedral of St. Joseph. As you can see it’s waiting for baby Jesus. Almost Christmas. Come Lord Jesus.

Our family is headed toward south Florida for the holiday weekend. On Sunday Cindy and I become God parents again to our nephew, Charlie. He and his sister will be getting baptized!

Here’s wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas and safe travels.

Yesterday I was overwhelmed to learn that my brother Paul’s house burned down. This is a photo he sent me from his phone. It was still burning the next morning.

I can’t even imagine what they’re going through right now. Talk about an emotional jolt at best and right before Christmas. On the good side of this, no one was hurt, they have a small “guest house” on their property that he used as an office. It’s a one bedroom, one bath house and they have 6 children, 5 of which still live at home. So they have a roof over their head and good insurance. But they lost a almost all of their belongings. The help and support that poured in from neighbors and friends was unbelievable. I spoke with Paul late in the day and he said one church even had a food schedule for them for the next week!

My first thought was to hop a plane for Atlanta but Cindy helped me think that through. They have more support almost than they need right now and it’s kind of chaotic. Not much I can do there really. We’re going to Atlanta for work in January so we can leave early and stay with my parent’s who live nearby and see them then.

I’ve really had trouble getting this out of my mind since I learned about it yesterday. Besides thinking I need to go help I did say a prayer and many more since. It has also made me think about what is really important. They are all alive, they have a place to stay and they have their faith which remains unshaken! They will rebuild and start new memories.

The film “Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: Servant of All” is now .

No truer words have ever been written. For decades, Fulton Sheen served as a shining example of what it means to serve God. His television show, “Life is Worth Living,” reached 30 million viewers a week, and his words were captured in over 100 publications. His inspiration came not just from his teachings, however. Millions were influenced by the way he lived and by witnessing his personal relationship with God.

This new film, “Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: Servant of All,” introduces this beloved priest to a new generation — a generation that desperately needs this shining example of what it means to serve God. His messages remain as relevant and powerful today as they were nearly a half-century ago. Through the stories of those who knew him, viewers are reminded of his life and works. He lives on in the memories of those whose lives he forever changed.

It’s a cold day in Missouri on Gaudete Sunday. We just had our first snow of the season and the wind is howling. Hopefully the roads won’t be any problem going to Mass in a short while

Here’s an excerpt from today’s second reading that I thought I’d share. Besides the whole concept of being patient, which is one I need to work on constantly, I like the reference to farmers!

See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. (Jas 5:7-10 Reading 2)

I enjoyed Mass this morning at the Cathedral of St. John The Baptist in Savannah, GA. It was held in the undercroft chapel. Tomorrow’s Mass will be held in the Cathedral though. I’m looking forward to that.

The Cathedral traces its roots back to the late 1700’s when it started as a small frame church. You can read the history here.

I’m attending an agricultural aviators convention. It was billed as being in the balmy south. However, we’ve had near record cold temps. My 20 min. walk to the Cathedral was in 16 degree wind chill. That was chilly!

According to an AP story in the Washington Post, Pope Benedict would like a solar powered popemobile. It’s nice to see a story about our Pope that doesn’t criticize him!

Anyone have a fast, solar-powered electric popemobile for his holiness?

The Vatican says Pope Benedict XVI would gladly use one as another sign of his efforts to promote sustainable energy and take care of the planet, but one has yet to be offered.

Here’s how EWTN defines Advent:

The word Advent is from the Latin adventus for “coming” and is associated with the four weeks of preparation for Christmas. Advent always contains four Sundays, beginning on the Sunday nearest the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, (November 30) and continuing until December 24. It blends together a penitential spirit, very similar to Lent, a liturgical theme of preparation for the Second and Final Coming of the Lord, called the Parousia, and a joyful theme of getting ready for the Bethlehem event.

The traditional color of Advent is purple or violet which symbolizes the penitential spirit. Religious traditions associated with Advent express all these themes.

I used a relatively warm day yesterday to put up our Christmas lights and Nativity Scene. I would love to see more yards with a Nativity Scene in them. Can’t say I’m a big fan of blow up Santas and assorted animals.

At the end of Mass yesterday our Associate Pastor, Fr. Ben Nwosu, sang what he calls the Jefferson City Song. Fr. Ben is from Nigeria where life is very different than we can imagine here in the USA. When he was assigned to our diocese he fell in love with our community so he composed a little song that he started singing after Masses. He says that when he has been back home he’s taught it to his family and friends and they sing it there too. I caught part of the song on my phone to share with you.

The Zimmerman family had a wonderful Thanksgiving day and meal. I can tell you that what I’m most thankful for is my faith and my family. All the rest is just “stuff.”

Speaking of stuff. I am still stuffed. We are so blessed in this country to have so much. I heard on the radio this morning that people were lined up in the freezing cold 12 deep at local retail outlets to get Black Friday savings. I can’t do that and just plain won’t.

Let’s hope that as we prepare for the Christmas season people remember why we celebrate.